Time of War
by Sailorprinzess
Summary: Ch. 3 Is UpLink enters the Hylain army, leaving Saria behind. He fights in battles against Ganon's army, but gets injured and initially collapses, appearing to be dead. He wakes up next to a fellow soldier...
1. Stage One: Enticement

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Legend of Zelda. 

Hello everyone! This is my first Zelda fic, so please be kind. I hope you enjoy it! Please review! --

This fic takes place during the Ocarina of Time period, but sort of with an alternate storyline. You'll see what I mean. And I tried to stay true to the characters, but I may have altered a little bit of their personalities, but oh well. 

**

Time of War

**

Stage One:  
Enticement 

"An urgent announcement from the king of Hyrule: 

_

As the king of Hyrule, I am asking for the help of courageous young men skilled in combat to join Hyrule's Defense Force. Your help is critically needed due to the hard and dangerous times that we will soon face. Ganon has revived perished troops from the desert and is advancing on the castle. If we have a strong army, we will sure be able to protect our beloved land. If interested, please report to the main gate of the castle on the morning after the first full moon of this month.

_

Please support Hyrule and join the army." 

Link's left eyebrow raised as he read the flyer that was attached to the wall of the Kokiri general store. It intrigued him very much, since he had always pictured himself as a soldier for the Hylian army. For a Kokiri, he's abnormally tall and is without a guardian fairy, well he does have Navi, but she was given to him by the Deku Tree. So in reality, he is not your average Kokiri. 

He did practice sword techniques everyday with the sword the blacksmith gave him. He'd go into the Sacred Forest Meadow, where he and Saria would battle and then she would teach him how to play the Ocarina. The meadow was the only place for him to practice sword and not be ridiculed by the Kokiri, since the exercise of any violent nature was looked down upon. 

With every passing day, he'd grow stronger and become a better warrior. Although he still had a lot of training to do to become like the Hero of Time the Deku Tree once told him about, he believed he still had a chance to join the Defense Force. 

He reached for the flyer and pulled it off the tack it was hanging by. He folded it and put it in his pocket. He bought a couple of things and then left for his tree house, which was getting smaller and smaller with every departing day, as he only got taller. 

Looks from the Kokiri lingered as Link walked along the gravel path. Most of them thought of him as an outcast and that he didn't belong. He was too strong and courageous to be a Kokiri, they were traits that no one in the race obtained, except for him. He is the only one to have audacity and brawn. And those qualities only grew greater as he matured into a young adult. But even at the age of seventeen, Kokiri are still the size of a child, but Link, on the other hand, was a deformity. He was the size of a man, a Hylian. 

"Hey, Giant" a male voice called out from behind him. 

He stopped and quickly turned around. He instantly knew it was Mido, the leader of the Kokiri Tribe. From the first day they had met, he has despised Link. He is the main reason for Link's rude treatment from the others, since he spread rumors of him being a bastard of the Gerudo Thieves. The tribe didn't know that the Gerudo, the all female army of thieves, only gave birth to a male every hundred years, so Mido took control of that and told them that the army of thieves only got rid of him because giving birth to a male was a bad omen. So people have shunned away from Link in fear. 

"What do you want, Mido?" Link asked, trying hard not to grab the sword from his sheath. "I don't have time for you right now." 

Mido laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "No reason to be rude, Link. I just wanted to say hello to you so you don't accidentally step on me, you know?" he said. "So, how is Saria?" 

"She's fine," he replied. He wondered why he would ask him that question, when he could ask her himself. "I haven't really seen her, though." 

Mido looked amused by this. "Good, because if you don't mind, I'm going to ask her to the Harvest Moon festival that's taking place tomorrow." 

"Tomorrow?" Link repeated. "It's tomorrow?" 

He nodded. 

_That means the recruitment for the King's defense troop is in a day and a half. How will I ever be ready in time for that?_ Link thought, sinking into a state of bewilderment. He was a skilled warrior, the best in the whole village, but he wasn't sure about the whole land of Hyrule. He would have to compete against the Zorans, Gorons, and more importantly, the Hylians. He didn't have to worry about the Gerudo, since women were not aloud to fight in battle, which he was a little relieved about. Still, being as skilled as he was, he still hasn't mastered everything. 

Mido snapped his finger, bringing Link back from his daze. "Hey!" he said loudly. "Is it all right for me to ask Saria to the festival?" 

He wanted to leave as soon as possible. He has more important things to do rather than listening to him bicker. "I don't care what you do, Mido," he said, and walked away. 

Link finally made his way to his to his tree house and climbed the ladder that led to the door. He was met with a very angry Saria. He knew why she was mad, but he pretended not to notice her heated face and went over to the bed to take off his boots. 

Saria rolled her eyes. "You're late. I waited here for an hour," she said, and sighed in frustration. She turned around, looking him over. "Ignoring me won't help, Link." 

She pulled out her green ocarina from her pocket. She looked at is for a few seconds and then shot a glance at Link. "Why don't you want to learn how to play it?" Playing the ocarina meant a lot to her. While she plays it, she's taken to another world. A world of magic and solitude that no one could ever steal her away from. It was her special place, like it was a part of her… A part she wanted to share with Link, her best friend. 

He looked up at her. "Saria, it's not that I don't want to learn it. It's just…" 

He didn't want to tell her that he had to start training to be a soldier. He knew that she wouldn't want him to fight in battle. She doesn't want him to get hurt. 

Somehow, Saria picked up his mixed emotions radiating off his body. "Link, what's wrong?" she asked, moving closer to him. "Don't tell me there's nothing wrong, either. I've know you for a long time, so I know when something is troubling you." 

Link stood up, he's knees feeling weak all of the sudden. "Saria, I won't be able to have anymore ocarina lessons for a while." 

She put her head down and stared at her feet. "What do you mean?" She couldn't look him in the eyes. She didn't want to see if he was lying to her or not. She wouldn't be able to bear the thought of him lying to her about taking the lessons. It would hurt her too much. 

He didn't want to tell her, but he had to. It's the only way she'd understand. "Today I saw this flyer posted on the wall of Kokiri's General Store." He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. He reluctantly handed it to her, his hand shaking. 

She began to unfold it in her hands, wondering what information the paper held. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it said, but the temptation to read it only made her open it faster. 

She flattened out the paper and skimmed it over. Reading it to herself, she made sounds at words like "dangerous" and "combat." She didn't know if she should be angry or sad. This was Link, the closest thing she has to a family, or maybe relationship. She doesn't want to lose that; not for anything in the world. But going into battle is what he always dreamt about. She doesn't want to take his dreams away from him, that would be like taking out his heart and tearing it to pieces right in front of his face. She could never do that. So she took in a deep breath and let is out slowly. She knew what she has to do, but it isn't what she truly wants to do. 

"So?" Link said, raising his eyebrows. "What do you think?" 

Saria looked at him and put on her best I'm-smiling-on-the-outside-but-crying-on-the-inside smile. "I'm happy for you," she said, handing over the threatening letter. "Honest." 

After hearing that, he put on the happiest look and hugged her. "I'm glad you're happy, Saria," he said happily. "It means a lot." 

She looked at the mirror that was across the room. The door of them hugging is a sight she'll burn to the back of her skull. She never wants to forget that moment, since it's the only one she has of them together. And maybe, their last… 

-- 

I know it may suck now, but I promise it will get better, especially when I bring Malon in. ^^ 

As always please review and tell me if I should continue or not! 


	2. Stage Two: Full Moon Rising

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda. Nintendo does. Lucky sons of….

Okay, okay. It has been a long time, since I last updated. I really have no excuse that is good enough, like my computer wouldn't let me log on until now or that I was abducted by aliens. So I will just tell the truth although I hate admitting it: I had writer's block. I hate admitting that, sinc eI hate knowing that I had it. But hopefully for now that has come and gone, and I can finally finish this story among others. So I hope you enjoy it!

**Stage Two:**

**Full Moon Rising **

Princess Zelda sighed as she leaned against her balcony column. From the castle, she could see the Market Place and beyond that the rolling hills of Hyrule. She cared for her country and her people. She would never want to see anything horrible to happen, however she didn't know what she could do. What if there was a sudden attack and they weren't prepared? She couldn't exactly stop it by herself. Could she?

As she stared off into the distance, something inside of her rattled in despair and hopelessness. She knew that an attack was coming, but did not know when. Her father never divulged any specifics, only vague mutterings. She had faith in her father's army, but could they really match the power of the great Ganondorf? Having astonishing swordsmanship and keen battle plans, Ganon, is one of the most feared King of Thieves that has ever existed. Him being such a big threat is only half of their worries, he still has a powerful army to boot.

"What are we going to do?" she asked herself. "Please, God of the Triforce, help us in our time of need."

The sun was slowly setting below the horizon, spreading orange and yellow across the sky. It was a sight right out of a picture painted by a renowned artist. She closed her eyes and kept that picture in her mind, so she could always remember it in case darkness ever took over. That picture would be her hope.

After a while, bursting noises sounded throughout the land. Startled, Zelda rushed to her window, where she could see lights of all the colors of the rainbow surge against the black sky. They were pretty, as well as the joyful concussion of fanciful music. It was coming from Kokiri forest, a place she only visited a few times, since the fear of getting lost in the dark forest was too scary.

"It must be some kind of festival," she said to herself. "It sounds like fun."

Thoughts of people dancing and drinking raced across her mind. Laughing and having a good time are things she hasn't done in quite a while. Being the princess of Hyrule has benefits, but has drawbacks as well, going out in public is one of them. It was too dangerous to be seen in the Market Place or anywhere else in Hyrule, since the risks of her getting hurt or being kidnapped were too high. However she was able to sneak out a few times and never got noticed, she knew the risks were still too high…

But she still had the urge to join in on the fun. It only took her a few milliseconds to decide that she was going to go. She quickly ran to her closet to get her cloak. She swirled it around her and put on her hood. Her heart was racing, yet she was not scared. She more excited than anything. She could not wait to see the Kokiri and have fun.

As she tried to lift herself over the balcony wall, she heard the oncoming of footsteps. She tried to hurry and get over the wall, but her leg was caught in the railing. She tried to maneuver her leg out, but it was stuck. Suddenly she heard her bedroom door open. All over her body functions stopped, never letting out a single breath. She figured if she stayed quiet nobody would know she was outside.

"Zelda?" a familiar voice called. "Are you in here?"

She prayed for the person to go away. How embarrassing would it be if someone found her, straddling the banister with her leg wedged into the railing. What a great escaper she would be.

All of a sudden her bedroom lights were flicked on, cascading light out onto her balcony. She knew she was dead now. Whoever the person is was sure to find her now. I _Just my luck. Of course I would be caught, I mean I am destined to be the protector of the Triforce not the person who sneaks into the Temple of Time and steals it. /I _

As she fought herself over the situation, she was faced to face with her nursemaid Impa. "What are you doing, Princess?" she asked, curiously looking over her.

She bit her lip and wondered what she could say. "Umm… I am just…practicing straddling a horse?" she blurted, even though she knew it wasn't a good response. "Yeah, you know me, Miss Impa, always trying to improve my skills. I am going to Queen and all one day…"

Impa did not look impressed with Zelda's answer. Actually she thought it was quite amusing, however she held back from laughing. "You were trying to escape, weren't you?" she finally said after a few moments.

Zelda put down her head and swung her leg to kick the pole. Only as she was doing this, the leg that was stuck finally came loose. "Perfect," she said, mad at herself. "Of course things I want to happen don't occur until the last minute."

"What?' Impa asked, confused. "Anyway. Your father would be furious if you left the castle. Not only is it dangerous at night, but also we are on the edge of starting a war. You never know who's out there."

"I know, Impa. But I heard the festival coming from Kokiri forest, and I wanted to join too. I hardly ever get a chance to have fun. I am sorry for frightening you." Zelda leaped off the banister onto the marble floor. She was torn. She wanted to have fun, since it could be her last chance. She never knows when she'll have to take on the responsibility of keeping the Triforce and even protecting her kingdom. "I promise not to sneak out again."

Impa looked over her in concern. She knew it was her duty to protect Zelda and make sure no one would try to harm her. Yet at the same time she was her friend. She would never want to see her sad or upset. So she did whatever a good friend would do. She moved towards her and clasped her hand. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Zelda asked quickly. "You aren't going to turn me in to my father are you?"

"Just come with me."

Link relaxed himself against a tree in the Sacred Forest Meadow. It was a place Saria had shown him when they were little. It was peaceful and quiet. Only the chirping of crickets and the soft sound of the wind blowing against the trees were the only things heard.

His heart was beating rapidly as his breathing gradually began to slow down. He was sweating, giving off a distinct smell. He didn't care. He had just practiced his various sword techniques and combat moves. He was tired, but he believed that he was ready for tomorrow. He was anxious to join the army. It was the only thing he wanted, more than anything of the world.

His eyes began to close, but he was unable to let himself sleep. He could hear the light sound of music coming from the forest. He wanted to join in on the Moon Harvest Festival, but something inside of him tried to pull him away from it. He knew Saria would be there, and Mido would try to get himself all over her. It's not that he was jealous, but he did have some sort of feelings toward her. She was like a sister to her, and he wanted to keep every guy away from her. He wasn't sure if he loved her in a romantic way; it was more like a love between friends. Although something told him that she was the one with the affectionate feelings for him, yet he would never ask about them.

The more he heard the music and watched the fireworks flourish in the sky, the more he wanted to get up and go. Maybe it was the tiny lightning bugs dancing in the air or the giggles of fairies sounding in his ears, or maybe he could hear Saria's voice calling him, but for some reason he stood up, ready to go. The lower half of his body began to move without notice to his upper half. He started to walk out of the Sacred Meadow and into the Dark Woods. As he moved closer to Kokiri, the voices of people became louder and the music was more jubilant.

Once he got to the bridge that connected Kokiri to the Dark Woods, he could see a horse off in the distance. He stopped to watch it come closer. He instantly feared for the Kokiri, especially Saria. No one ever comes to Kokiri at night for the fear of getting lost. So he figured it must be an intruder or someone with horrible plans. He knew what he had to do. He drew out his sword and pulled out his wooden shield. He was ready.

The horse came only a few yards away until it stopped. Link could see that two people were sitting on the horse, but he could not make them out. "Who's there?" he asked, trying to make his voice sound intimidating and unafraid.

"Please get out of our way so we could pass," a strong female voice replied. "If you do this task we will not harm you."

He laughed, firmly staying in his place. "You can not hurt me. I am---" he paused. Saying that you are a Kokiri warrior is something that people would mock and laugh at. He wanted them to fear him not burst out snickering. So he was about to lie, well not really, but maybe just fib a little. "I am a Hylian Knight. I protect this place from intruders."

"I am Impa. I am the nursemaid to Princess Zelda and one of the last survivors of the Sheikan race. Please step aside," Impa said, tightening her grasp on the horse's reigns. "If you do this, Sir Knight, you will be rewarded by the king."

"The King?" Link repeated. His eyes got bright and wide. This could be his way out of the forest and into the military. He could become a Hylian soldier. He would finally be respected not only in Hyrule, but also in his home, Kokiri Forest.

"What are you doing, Impa?" Zelda whispered. "He is a soldier. If he sees me he will tell Dad. Plus how will he be rewarded? We can't let Dad know we were out here!"

"Trust me," Impa said, and then looked onward to the soldier. "So will you let us pass?"

He stood there for a few seconds wondering whether or not to trust them. However the fact that they could get him rewarded by the king tickled his interest in letting them pass. Finally he nodded, placing his sword in the sheath. "Fine, you may pass." He stepped to the side and watched as the horse galloped towards him.

"Thank you," Impa said, as the horse slowly walked by him.

As they moved in front of him, he was curious to know who the other person was. The light from the full moon allowed him to get a quick glimpse. All he seen were big blue eyes looking back at him and golden hair swaying in the wind. He was mesmerized. Almost transfixed on those eyes. They were like pools of blue tranquility set in face that glowed in the silver moonlight. He felt like he seen that face before, but he didn't know from where.

They quickly rode of toward Kokiri. Link followed slowly behind, thinking about the girl. She was unlike any person he had ever seen before. It's not that he thought she was beautiful, she was very, but there was something about her that made him curious, wanting to know more.

He finally got to the festival, which was still going strong. People were dancing to the lively music, some were drinking, while others were sitting around laughing. He felt like he didn't belong, because he was unlike any of the others. Navi was gone, leaving him without a fairy, making him even more strange. Yet he knew he could find solace in the presence of Saria. So he began to look for her, moving in between the crowds of little people and brush. He finally spotted her, sitting a top of a house, yet she wasn't alone. Mido was closely sitting next to her, sparklers in each of his hands. Link wanted to walk away, but Saria had already spotted him and waved.

"Link!" Saria said happily. "I was looking all over for you. Where have you been?"

"I was at Sacred Meadow," he replied. "I fell asleep, not knowing what time it was."

Mido grunted. "Why don't you go back, then," he said.

Saria glared at him. "Mido, be nice. You know how to be," she said, and turned to Link. "You should have told me you were going there. I haven't been to the Meadow in a long time."

"Sorry," Link said, and backed away slightly. "It didn't cross my mind. I am going to get something to drink. I'll be back."

Saria nodded and smiled. Mido only glared at him. Link shrugged and walked toward the table where the drinks were located. He grabbed a bottle and chugged it all the way down until the bottle was emptied. He grabbed another and went sit by the small pond next to the General Store. He was away from everyone else, just how he liked it. He could think clearer and not have to worry about anything.

"Tomorrow, I hope I am ready," he said to himself, and swallowed half of the bottle. "Hopefully I will be."

As he sat, he heard footsteps creep behind him. He quickly turned, startled to see who it was.

"You aren't really a Hylian soldier, are you?" the person asked, amusement in her tone.

"Uhh…"

To Be Continued…

Please Review!


	3. Stage Three: Getting to Know You

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Legend of Zelda, unfortunately. 

Here is the next chapter. I am sorry it took me a while, but I had to update my other stories before this one. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review! Thanks!

**Stage Three:  
Getting to Know You**

Link swallowed hard as he looked over the beautiful stranger. It was the girl he had seen before on the horse. She smiled as if she knew something that he was hiding, which made him nervous. The fact that he lied about being a Hylian soldier made him cringe in front of her. It was something that he shouldn't have lied about, since it was misleading. No matter how big of a lie it was, it didn't seem to bother her. He saw no emotion of disgust or ridicule. Instead he could see interest and delight. He was confused. In his mind it did not make sense. Not at all. Although he always had a hard time in figuring out women. It wasn't his forte.

"So, you're not a soldier?" the girl asked, as she kneeled before him. She did not want him to realize that she was Princess Zelda. If he or anyone found out, it would be a disaster. "You don't seem like one."

His eyebrows raised. He felt surprised that she said that. Not only had he been training so hard to have the skills as a great warrior, but he also had tried gaining the same presence as one. However all of his hard work turned out to be not like he'd thought. "Why do you say that?"

She smiled. "Well, " she started. She knew he wasn't a soldier, since he did not recognize her, which if he were a soldier it would make him a bad one. "You do not have a Hylian shield. Plus you seem…I don't know…You don't look like one?"

"Kokiri aren't supposed to look like warriors. We are only small forest people," he replied, and looked over his wooden shield laying on the ground. "I got my shield from my friend Saria. She made it herself with wood from the Deku Tree."

"If you are a Kokiri, then why do you not have a fairy and why are you tall?" she asked, her curiosity looming in the air. It wasn't often that she got to meet people outside of the kingdom, which gave her a reason to be inquisitive.

He didn't know what to say. Words would not come out of his mouth. Never had he ever really had to answer that question. Sure he was asked, but never did he answer. He kept his identity wrapped around himself and never let go of it. It was important to him. He knew that he was a Kokiri, maybe a deformed one, but he was still of the race. He just felt that he was. Nothing could change that.

Zelda noticed his withdrawn attitude towards her questions. "I am sorry if I am being too curious," she said. "I am always nosey."

He laughed and stood up. "It's okay," he replied. "I get it all of the time." He waved and began to walk away from her.

"Wait. Where are you going?" she asked, and straightened. "Won't you tell me your name?"

He turned. His eyes trickled over her, studying every part. Even out of the moonlight her body gleamed. She was like an angel sent from the heavens. The sight of her made him forget about everything. All of his problems, who he was, who he wants to be, and all that he has become. Everything. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not, but he didn't want that feeling to leave him. Not even for a minute.

"It's Link," he said, and continued to walk away.

Zelda watched him intently as he walked away. She could not take her eyes off of him. She was transfixed, yet she knew nothing about him, only his name.

She was disturbed in her daze when Impa called out to her, "It's time to go. We do not want to worry anyone."

Zelda blinked and looked over at her nursemaid. "Okay," she replied, and began to walk towards her. "Thank you for bringing me, Impa."

"It's not a problem. Anyway I'd rather you tell me when you decide to go for another one of these escapades, okay?" she said.

She nodded. "Yeah. I promise."

Link went to his tree house, where he wouldn't be bothered by the lively festival. Tomorrow was quickly approaching, where he'd be faced with the most challenging event of his life. He knew he was ready, but would he be able to show that without messing up? He had confidence that he was strong and amazing at fighting, but could he hold up against the Hylian army? Compared to them he was just a wanna-be. He never fought monsters or another person for that matter. Of course there is the usual trespasser he gets rid of, but never anything quite as demanding as a whole army with the intent to kill.

He wiped his face with a wet cloth and looked in the tiny mirror. His reflection made him appear strong, fierce, and determined. However he felt ready to collapse. He couldn't shake off his nervousness and the thoughts of him failing. It made him want to go crazy.

"What are you doing?' he asked his reflection. "Why are thinking like that?"

Nothing could answer those questions. He felt left in the dark, and away from his body. He was separated. And he wasn't sure if he could ever become one again.

"Link?" a voice called out. "Who are you talking to?"

He quickly dried off his face and went out into the main room. There he was met with Saria, with a confused look on her face. "Who were talking to?" she asked, again.

He shook his head. "No one, Saria," he replied.

"What a relief," she exclaimed, and fell back against the wall.

He gave her a strange look. He wasn't sure what she meant by saying it was a relief. However he hardly knew what she said most of the time. He always thought it was just a women thing to always be misunderstood.

"What do you mean, Saria, by saying it was a relief?" he asked, and sat down on a wooden chair.

Her cheeks turned red and quickly changed the subject. "Nothing…So are you ready for tomorrow? It's the big day," she said, and nervously smiled.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I am not sure, Saria. I don't think I will make it."

"Why not, Link? You are the greatest fighter I have ever seen. Plus you are very smart and cunning. I don't see any reason for you not to make it," she said. "Just before you showed so much confidence…"

He couldn't look her in the eyes. She was intimidating to him. She had some sort of power over him. She knew every time he lied or when something was bothering him. He didn't like it, since it made it harder for him to pull the wool over her eyes whenever he didn't want to know something.

"I just don't think I will," he replied, still not looking at her. "I am a Kokiri after all…"

"Link," she said softly. She bit her lower lip, looking as if she wanted to say something. She held some secret between her lips that she wanted to tell, but it was hard. She didn't want him to think that she has lied to him every day of his life. "Don't think that way."

"And why not? There has never been a Kokiri to try out for the army and get in," he said, and cracked his knuckles. "I don't have a chance, even I know that."

She quickly shook her head and moved over to him, on her knees. "Link, even a Zora can be as strong as a Goron," she said. "Same for a Kokiri. We are all different races, but that does not mean we are don't have the same traits." She grabbed a hold of his hand, and squeezed it. "Plus you don't resemble a Kokiri, Link. You look like a Hylian. So you are special."

His eyes finally met hers. He could see the tears filling up in her eyes. She looked so tiny kneeling beside him. It made him feel so big. Maybe she was right. She was right about a lot of things, so maybe she was about this too.

"Trust me, Link. I know you could do this," she said, holding back her tears. "If I didn't think you could, I wouldn't let you leave."

Link's eyebrows raised. Something about the look she was giving him made him instantly gain all of his confidence. She had that affect over him. "I trust you, Saria."

She stood up and smiled at him. "Good," she turned and started to walk away.

As she walked, a thought came to Link. "Wait, Saria!" he exclaimed. She turned to him. "A Goron can not swim like a Zora can, because of his weight. So what then, Saria?"

She smiled, tilting her head slightly. "Then the swim in the shallow end," she replied. "There are always ways around obvious limitations."

She left, closing the door behind her. Link sat staring at the door. He felt so much better, even though he still didn't now what she meant by ways around limitations. But he still trusted her.

Zelda collapsed on her bed, the biggest smile gliding across her face. She was so happy. Everything Link had said to her replayed over and over in her head. Even the way he looked at her was burned to her body. She never felt this way before. She felt completely out of her body, but it felt so good. She never wanted it to end.

"Link…" she whispered to herself. "You are like a dream I never want to wake up from."

She kept giggling like a young school girl. It was very un-princess like, but she did not care. He was so handsome and mysterious, traits she always looked for in a man, but never found until now. Finding him made her never wanting to lose him, and it also made her forget about the oncoming war, which was a miracle in itself. She hated knowing about the war, and the few moments of bliss she found because of Link were worth more than she could ever know.

The sun slowly crept up along the horizon, bringing light all over Hyrule. The roosters began to crow, signaling it was morning. Link rose from bed, refreshed and ready to start.

He equipped his armor, weapons, and green tunic. His stomach felt weightless in his body, and his heart was racing. He was nervous, but he knew he could go through it. It would be hard, but he truly and honestly felt that he could succeed.

He had something to eat and quickly hurried out of his house. But as soon as he reached the outside, he was met with a big surprise.

The whole population of Kokiri were outside, clapping and cheering. A huge banner was raised that read: Good Luck Link! They were there to support him. It meant a lot to him, since he always considered himself as an outsider.

"Hooray for Link!" Saria exclaimed, and everyone else repeated.

He smiled and climbed down the ladder. "Thank you so much," he said, once he finally reached the ground.

Saria ran towards him. "Link, we have a surprise for you!" she shouted and grabbed his hand. She pulled him to the center of the village, where a horse stood. She grabbed the reigns and put them in his hand. "This is Epona. She is now yours. We were able to purchase her from Lon Lon Ranch."

He walked next to the horse and stroked its mane. He felt linked to the horse somehow, as if they were always supposed to meet. It sounded silly, even to him, but it made sense in a way. "Epona," he said with a smile. "Thank you, Saria. You didn't have to."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I know, Link, but I wanted to," she said. "I'll miss you."

He looked at her in shock. She had never told him something like that before. Never did she tell him about her feelings for him. She never had the courage to. But something about him leaving made her want to say at least something. In case…they never saw each other again.

To Be Continued…

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